Heat exchanger



March 25, 1930. w. M. CROSS 1,751,725

HEAT EXCHANGER Filed JanI'T. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l A ORNEY.

March 25, 1930.

HEAT EXCHANGER Filed Jan. '7. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet? INVENTOR.

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w. M. CROSS 1,751,725

Patented Mar. 25, 1930 WALTER M. onoss, or KANSAS CITY, MrssoURI HEAT fixer-[ANGER Application filed January 7, 1926. Serial No. 79,772.

This invention relates to improvements in heat exchangers, and refers more particularly to a heat exchanger which is of a light, simple construction and offers an immense amount of heat exchanging surface for its size.

Among the salient objects of the invention are, to provide an exchanger in which two mediums are passed in radiating contact in single passages or a plurality of passages by reversing the flow of the respective mediums; to provide a construction in which the surface through which and over which the mediums are passed is deformed or corrugated into Waves or ridges in order to increase the heat exchanging surface presented to the mediums, and, in general, to provide a construc-' tion of the character hereinafter described in more detail.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the construction with a corner of the casing broken away.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the exchanger with a portion of the casing broken away.

F'g. 3 is a view taken along the line 3-3 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the corrugated sheets with parts broken away, showing the separate layers.

Fig. 5 isan enlarged sectional detail, the right half of which is taken along the line 55 in Fig. 3, and the left half taken along the line 5-'5 of Fig. '3."

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 66 in Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings, two-sheets, such as that shown at 1 in Fig. 4, are placed together with the embossed separators 2 and With the concave corrugations contacting as shown in Fig. 5 to produce a series of horizontal tubular ducts between the respective sheets. These two sheets will constitute what we will term as a set and will be designated by the numeral 3 shown in Figs. 1 and 2. These sets'of sheetsare placed together so that the convex corrugations coincide and the sets of sheets areheld apart by the embossed separators or separator ridges designated as 2 in the drawings. These sets of sheets are welded or otherwise fastened andheaders 4 placed at the ends of the sheets and the assembly mounted in a casing as shown at 5. Intothe longitudinal ends of this casing are the connecting pipes 6 and 7, one serving as an inlet for the medium and the pipe at the opposite end serving as the outlet: --Likewise., in the sides of the casing are the tubes or pipes 8 and 9,0ne serving as an inlet and the other as an outlet for the medium which is passed in a transverse direction to the medium passing in a longitudinal direction through the tubular passageway formed by the corrugated sheets. By use of partitions in the end header of either the longitudinal or transverse sides of the casing, the flow of the medium can be reversed so that instead of a single passage through the exchanger the mediums may be directed to pass a plurality of times through the exchanger before finally being discharged. Such practice is oftentimes desirable where the character of the medium is such that the heat exchange is not readily effected. In order to separate the sets of'sheets so as to form a series of transverse openings between the sheets for the passage of the transverse medium, there are pressed into the corrugated sheets transversely of the corrugations embossed ridges. These ridges are preferably in the form of narrow strips embossed by means of a die to form raised separating strips or ribbons on the outer surface of the sheets. When the sets of sheets are heat exchanger construction, the embossments coincide forming the passageway 10 shown in Figs. 3 and 6. These passageways communicate with the transverse inlet and outlet ports 8 and 9. By embossing the sheets in the manner described it obviates the necessity of special individual separating elements and the necessity of supporting the sets of sheets in spaced apart relation by the use of a frame or heade The construction, therefore, reduces materially the cost in fabricating and, furtherplaced together to form the 4 more, increases the rigidity of the entire unit.

The embossments being all of .the same height assure a plurality of uniformly sized-passageways between the sets of sheets as the sheets are held by the separating embossments in a fixed spaced apart relation. The exchanger is adapted for the use with liquids, gases or fluids of any character. The direction of the passage of the particular. medium will be governed according to the particular characteristics of the mediums, that is, any liquid or gas having a tendency to produce deposition or accumulation of solid material should. be passed through the tube-like passageways as they can be more readily cleaned by removal of the longitudinal ends of the casing.

In place of the headers designated as 4 and shown in Fig. 1, the sets of sheets may be'rigidly attached into a unit construction by welding or otherwise sealing the tops of the contacting separating ridges such as the ridges upon the extreme outer portions of the sets of sheets shown in section in'llig. 3. The

rality of sets of corrugated sheets having their ends'connected to said headers, each set consisting of twosheets arranged to form tubular openings therebetween, and having undulated external surfaces, said openings communicating with said inlet; and outlet, undulated separating elements extending uninterrupt- ,edly across the exterior of each sheet, the separating elements of adjacent sets of sheets contacting throughout substantially their entire lengths to form continuous undulated passageways between the sets of sheets, an inlet connected to one side of the casing, and an outlet connected to the opposite side of the casing, the last mentioned inlet and outlet communicating with said passageways.

WALTER M. CROSS.

welding of the tops of the contacting ridges produces the same eflect as the header and prevents an intermingling of the mediums which are circulated longitudinally and transversely of the heater. The sealing of the extremities of the sets of sheets is sufiicient to hold the construction rigidly and the intermediate contacting ridges may be fastened in any suitable manner as the seal is not essential due to the fact that the medium passing transversely through the heat exchanger can not escape and intermingle with the secondary medium due to the sealed extremities of the sheets;

I claim as my invention:

1. A heat exchanger comprising a plurality of sets of corrugated sheets, each set consisting of two sheets arranged to formtubular openings therebetween and having undulated external surfaces, and undulated separating elements extending uninterruptedly across the exterior of each sheet in close proximity to the ends thereof, the separating elements of adjacent sets of sheets contacting throughout substantially their entire lengths to form continuous undulated passageways between the sets of sheets, said separating elements forming side walls for the passageways throughout the length of the latter.

2. A heat exchanger comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet at its ends, a plurality of sets of corrugated sheets, arranged lengthwise in the casing, each set consisting of two sheets arranged to form tubular openings therebetween and having undulated external surfaces, said tubular openings communicating with said inlet and outlet, and undulated separating elements extending uninterruptedly across the exterior of each sheet, the separating elements of adjacent sets of sheets contacting throughout substantially their entire lengths to form continuous undulated passageways between the sets of sheets.

3. A heat exchanger comprising a casing having an inlet atone end and an outlet at p the other end, headers extending transversely across the end portions of the ,casing,'a plu- 

